


My World Is Turning Pages

by on_your_left



Category: It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-16 03:16:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16077218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/on_your_left/pseuds/on_your_left
Summary: A Mac/Dennis high school AU where Mac invites Dennis over after a tough evening.





	My World Is Turning Pages

**Author's Note:**

> The title is from 'Apocalypse Dreams' by Tame Impala

Another day, another argument with his mom that made him feel like shit before it’d even reached 6pm, and Mac was left alone in the house after she stormed out. His day had been terrible, as usual, his mind filled with his parents and school and the fact that he might be gay and the fact that he was head-over-heels with Dennis Reynolds, the straightest guy in Philadelphia. Dennis had a reputation for trying to fuck any girl he set his sights on, and he was also Mac’s best friend. And he was ridiculously, disgustingly and foolishly in love with him.

Not wanting to be left alone with his thoughts for too long, Mac picked up the phone and dialled Dennis’s number, hesitating for a moment before pressing call; did he really want Dennis to see him like this? He did it anyway, though, knowing that if he spent the evening by himself he’d just end up feeling a thousand times worse.

“Hello?” His heart sped up slightly at the sound of Dennis’s voice on the other end of the line.

“Uh, hey, Den. Can you come over?” Mac sniffed, trying not to make it sound like he’d been crying.

“Yeah, sure, dude. Are you okay? You sound kinda...” Dennis trailed off, not knowing what to say.

“Yeah, yeah, totally. I’m fine. I’m just bored! Come over and we can watch a movie and get high or something. I have a free house!”

“Why don’t we invite the rest of the gang too? Dee isn’t doing anything right now and I’m sure Charlie isn’t either. I’ll shout her now. Dee!” He yelled.

“Dennis, wait! Don’t invite them. Please. I just wanna be with you right now, okay?” Mac cringed as he heard the words leave his mouth, knowing how stupid he sounded. Dennis was probably stifling a laugh right now.

“Oh, okay. That’s totally cool, man. I’ll be over in ten. See you in a bit!” 

Ten minutes later, Mac opened the door to Dennis, who held up a six-pack of beers with one hand and stuck his thumb up with the other. 

“I thought we could watch Top Gun, so I brought it with me. Is that cool?” Dennis asked, setting the drinks down on the table.

“Yeah sure, man, that’s cool.”

The two boys dimmed the lights and put the movie on, occasionally exchanging comments about the film.

“I could definitely-” Mac began before Dennis interrupted him.

“Don’t tell me, bro. You could choreograph this fight scene better than they did, right?” He turned to grin at Mac, whose entire body felt like it was crackling with electricity as the bad events of the day melted away slowly into Dennis’s smile.

“Yeah. You know me too well, dude.” 

“I do, I do.” 

They both turned back to watch the film, and a wave of sadness suddenly hit Mac as he realised that no one had ever really loved him in his life. Dee and Dennis had shitty parents too, but at least they had each other. Charlie’d had a traumatic childhood, and his mom wasn’t exactly the best parent ever, but at least she was there for him. Meanwhile, Mac’s dad was locked up in jail and his mom was probably drunk already, passed out at some bar somewhere in Philly.

He had nobody.

Mac only realised when Dennis paused the movie and asked him if he was okay that he was crying, his shoulders shaking as tears streamed down his cheeks. 

“I’m fine. Just put the movie back on. I’ll be fine.” Mac insisted, sniffing and attempting to wipe his tears away. He really didn’t want Dennis to see him in this state; sure, nobody thought he was as tough as he’d like to be, but no one had ever seen him sobbing like this before. He didn’t want Dennis to judge him and think he was a wimp.

“No, dude, you’re not fine. I’m not good with this feelings shit either, but you’re my best friend, okay? You’re obviously not in a good frame of mind, and I’m not leaving until you tell me what the problem is.”

“Dennis, honestly, it’s nothing. You’ll just laugh at me.” Mac’s voice cracked as he spoke and he put his face in his hands, hiding his tears from his best friend.

“Look, Mac, I meant what I said. I am literally not leaving this room until I find out what’s wrong.”

“Fine. Okay. I just feel like… like nobody wants me, you know? No one has ever told me that they love me, or that they need me, or that they even like me. My parents have never shown any kind of affection towards me and they refuse to say they love me and I feel like my friends hate me sometimes. Even you.” 

“I need you, Mac,” Dennis replied after a moment of silence. 

“No, you don’t. You think you do, but you don’t need me at all. I’m completely replaceable.” 

“Don’t be stupid. I need you more than anything. More than you could ever know.” Dennis continued, his voice starting to crack.

“Yeah, okay, that’s one person who apparently needs me, which is great and everything but I’m just not loved by anyone, Dennis. You and Dee might be at each other’s throats constantly, but at least you have her. I have no one. No one lo-”

“I love you.”

“What?”

“I said I love you. And not in a… platonic kind of way."

"What kind of way?"

"Romantic, you dumbass!" Dennis laughed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Really?"

“Yeah, dude. I wasn’t planning to tell you, like, ever, but I didn’t want to see you get worked up into a state thinking no one loves you when someone really, really does.” Dennis sighed, staring off into the distance when he finished speaking.

"I love you too, Den."

"I know, I know," Dennis replied, reaching out to put his arm around Mac and pull him closer. He rested his head on Dennis's shoulder and they stayed like that for a while, neither of them talking, just enjoying the feeling of being wrapped up in each other. For the first time in his entire life, Mac finally felt loved, wanted and needed, all at once and all from the boy he wanted too.


End file.
